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Monthly Archives: October 2016

If you live in the Toronto area, you are probably aware of the many swimming lessons and swimming programs available to families who would like for their children to learn how to swim. With so many programs available, it can be difficult to choose the one that is best for your family. When choosing a swimming program for your child, keep these ideas in mind in order to find the perfect fit for your family.

Credentials
Be sure that any place you choose to enroll your child in swimming lessons are employing instructors who are certified and qualified to do so. The instructors should hold a swim rescue award that meets the Ontario Health Regulations, a swim instruction qualification as determined by the employer and a First Aid and CPR certification from a recognized society including: The Canadian Red Cross, Lifesaving Society, St. John’s Ambulance or Canadian Ski Patrol. There are other advanced certifications that are not required for basic swim instruction but can be a sign of a well-qualified instructor.

Class size

Class size might also impact your decision on which swimming program to enroll your child in Toronto. Classes should be smaller in order for the instructor to properly teach and supervisor, typically around 2 – 5 children in each class for smaller children and up to 10 for more advanced children. Of course there are programs that offer one on one instruction as well. Knowing how your child will learn best, either in the group class or individually, will help determine your decision.

Class Schedule
While you understand the importance of your child learning to swim, you also understand that the class time needs to make sense for your schedule, as well as your child’s. For example, if you work long days choosing a class that is held on the weekend might be the best option for you. Maybe choosing a morning class will help avoid conflicting with your child’s nap time. Alternatively, choosing a weeknight time allows you to keep your weekends free for family time and can help your child refresh for the following day with a fun and active activity.

Observe the Lessons
Observing the swimming lessons are very important for parents to feel comfortable with the school of their choice. There are many benefits to observing a class and it will help you understand the process. You can see how the teacher works with the students, how many lessons are going on at once in the pool area, and how the instructor transitions from one class to the next. Your child can also see how lessons are handled and what to expect during their swim school instruction. This also allows parents to see where they should be dropped off, picked up, etc. to learn the class flow. This helps both the parent and the child to be more comfortable with the first swim lesson.

If you are in need of a quality swimming program in the Toronto area, explore the options that Zodiac Swim School has to offer. They have a wide range of swimming programs for kids in Toronto and are ready to provide quality swimming lessons to your child today!

Toddler swimming lessons can be a tricky business, but a very important and rewarding one. Toddlers and children need to be entertained in any learning environment, as they naturally learn by playing. When children enjoy what they are learning, they are more likely to participate, more willing to learn, and catch on more quickly due to their high interest level. Not to mention, when they’re having fun, you are too! Swimming lessons for kids plays a very important role, as they will learn the basic skills to reduce their risk of drowning. But no one said it couldn’t be fun! Take a look at five ways to make swimming lessons fun for kids and try using some of them in your next lesson.

Land to water
Part of keeping things interesting for toddler swimming lessons is to think outside of the box. A great way to do that is to utilize the land as well as the water. By letting the children do warm exercises on land, or incorporating drills throughout the lesson, the children will respond well to the change of environments. This can keep things interesting and entertaining for toddlers during swimming lessons.
Incorporate Sports
Incorporating sports into swimming lessons for kids helps them to enjoy the lessons all the more. Typically, all kids enjoy sports and all kids enjoy swimming, so why not combine the two and make for a great way to engage children in their swim lessons?! Incorporating sports into swimming lessons can allow for breaks in between skills, or the sports can be used to teach the skills themselves. It’s all about finding a creative way to incorporate the sport. For example, you could use basketball in a swim lesson by having the children swim from one end of the pool to the other, shoot a basket, and then swim back. At the end of the activity, calculate the baskets to see who won! Not only are the kids practicing their strokes, but they are having fun as well.

Use a variety of fun toys

All kids love toys, right? Of course they do! Using different toys in your swimming lessons is a great way to mix things up and get children to engage more. These toys could include different types of flotation devices, snorkels, flippers, and diving sticks. Not only will the children enjoy playing with a variety of toys, these toys also aid in specific skills that are essential to swimming techniques.

Play Games
Piggybacking on the incorporation of sports, playing games during swimming lessons can also help make the lessons fun for children. Swimming school for kids can get monotonous, and playing games can break up that monotony. Kids who are bored become unengaged, and are less likely to properly learn the techniques. Incorporating games that also teach the techniques for swimming is a great way to make swimming school fun for kids.

Underwater fun
Perhaps the most fun aspect for toddlers and children during swimming lessons is the skill of swimming underwater, or simply being underwater. Once this skill is successfully demonstrated by the child, you can incorporate fun activities with the underwater skill. And going along with the incorporation of sports and games, children learn by playing and underwater activities go right along with that theme. Underwater activities can include diving sticks, underwater laps racing, etc. The more creative, the better!

Zodiac Kids offers the best toddler swimming lessons to engage your child and make learning how to swim fun!